Process of making ornamental masonry articles



Sept. 2 1924.

VFiled Oct. 17 1923 y w Y gnou/Lto@ Jam? l/l/. Nen/mam Mad Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED, STATES JoHN W. NEWMAN, or HENDEnsoNvILLn,V NORTH oARoLINA. 'f

` PROCESS on MAKING ORNAMENTAL MAsoNRY ARTICLES.

Application mea october 17, 1923. serial No. 669,087.

T 0 all whom t ma/y con-cern.' 4

Be it known that I, JOHN W. NEWMAN, a citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Hendersonville, county of Henderson, State of North Carolina, have invented an Improvement in Processes of Makin-g Ornamental Masonry Articles, of which the following description, in connection with'the accompanying drawings,l is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

Y My invention aims to provide an improved process for making ornamental masonry articles. l

The drawings discloseillustrative articles made in accordance with my invention, wherein- Figure l is a side elevation of a finished article made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the article and also showing a mold for forming the article in mid-section; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of an article of different shape made in accordance with my method.

Heretofore, it has been customary to make ornamental stone surfaces either by imbedding the stones or pebbles in 1the face of a wall or slab after 1t has been formed and permitted to set sufficiently to retain its shape, or by casting or pouring wet motar l concave or convex outer surfaces cannot be over broken stones partially imbedded in a temporary layer or base of Ene sand or other material in the bottom of a mold andl then removing the sand from the exposed surfaces of the stones after the mortar is set. Repeated unsuccessful experiments have demonstrated that neither of the foregoing methods is practical for making articles presenting convex or irregular outer surfaces. A pot or jar such as that shown in Fig. l, for example, will not retain its shape after it is removed from a mold in the semi-plastic state prior to inserting` or partially imbedding the broken stones or other decorative or surface forming bodies. Further, broken stones and the like cannot be satisfactorily key-seated in interlocking relation in plastic or semi-plastic mortar after the body .is formed. Articles having cast; according to the latter method, for the reason that the temporary Vlayer or base of sand will not cling to the well of` the mold and support the stones in position. My im-'f proved method not only obviates the Aforegoing difficulties but makes it possible to produce articles having a great-variety of shapesv and almost any desired external appearance, depending upon the color and character ofthe imbedded pieces.

In accordance with my preferred method, as practiced for making a pot or jar l such 'as is shown-.in Fig. 1, I'employ a suitable form or mold A (Fig. 2) to produce thev de` sired yexternal shape of vessel. A layer of the -plastic mortar 5 which may consist ofv sharpy sand and cement, is placediin the bottom of vthe mold to form the fiatbottom p lof the. vessel, and then broken ystones orr;

other hard material of suitable size are laid by handin two or more rows or tiers, one

upon the other, and supported against the the interior faces ofthe bottom layers ofl stones, the process is repeated until. the completed article is formed. The interior surface may be finished or smoothed over gently by hand to produce the desired shape, a very rich mixture of cement preferably being employed. After the article has been allowed to set or harden sufficiently to retain its shape, it may be removed from the mold, and requires nofurther treatment other than brushing to remove loose dirt and particles of stone and mortar. In Fig. 3, I have shown the manner of making plain flat or curved slabs 7 which form a part of many ornamental articles. I employ asuitable form B supported in an inclined position whereby to prevent the successive layers of loose stones 8 from falling down, and to prevent the mortar, lafter it is applied, from penetrating or settling through theinterstices against the surface of the form'. The method of forming'the slab is, in all other respects, the same as that employed in'making pots or'jars as hereinbefore described. l

It will bessen that, in aOOOldfIlce with my inrention, the stones are actually incorporated with and firmlys'eated in the mortar While it is in the plasticstate, and

very little of the Vmortar is visible in the t small spaces between the stones. Also, none of the mortar is permitted to smear the eX- terior faces of the stones, thereby contributing,- to a decora-tive appearance.v i

Obviously the invention is not limited to the specific stepsdescribed in connection with the process, nor to the illustrative articles made in accordance therewith, but is susceptible ot various changesand modilications to suit the purposes to which it is applicable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

l. The method of making ornamental masonry articles which comprises laying progressively a plurality of tiers of face stones against a mold face substantially removed from the horizontal; applying to the faces of the stones of each tier asy formed a plastic backing of low fluidity; pressing' such backing material between Vsaid stones to yanchor the latter but not suiciently to fill the interstices therebetween; inishing the interior surface of said backing ma terial; permitting it to set and removing` the finished article from the mold.

2. The method of ``making ornamental masonry articles having curved outer `Walls which ycomprises vlaying progressively a plurality of tiers of stones of irregular shapes against the surface of a mold each in physical contact With itsy neighbor; applyinzg` to the backs of said stones of cach tier as .formed a plastic cementitious backing of suitable consistency; pressing said backing: material into the interstices between the stones partially to fill the same whereby to anchor some `ofA the stones in interlocking relation in said backing; applying:4 a finish- "ingr layer of relatively fine cementitious ma-1 terial to said backing and shaping theinterior of said article; and permitting `said ceinentitious material to harden in the mold.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name `to `this specificati-0n.

JOHNV W. NEWMAN. 

